247 research outputs found
Strings in Plane Wave Backgrounds Revisited
String theory in an exact plane wave background is explored. A new example of
singularity in the sense of string theory for nonsingular spacetime metric is
presented. The 4-tachyon scattering amplitude is constructed. The spectrum of
states found from the poles in the factorization turns out to be equivalent to
that of the theory in flat space-time. The massless vertex operator is obtained
from the residue of the first order pole.Comment: 15 pages, GTCRG-8, RevTe
A BRST Analysis of -symmetries
We perform a classical BRST analysis of the symmetries corresponding to a
generic -algebra. An essential feature of our method is that we write the
-algebra in a special basis such that the algebra manifestly has a
``nested'' set of subalgebras where the subalgebra consists of
generators of spin , respectively. In the new basis the
BRST charge can be written as a ``nested'' sum of nilpotent BRST charges.
In view of potential applications to (critical and/or non-critical) -string
theories we discuss the quantum extension of our results. In particular, we
present the quantum BRST-operator for the -algebra in the new basis. For
both critical and non-critical -strings we apply our results to discuss the
relation with minimal models.Comment: 32 pages, UG-4/9
Vibrational Properties of Nanoscale Materials: From Nanoparticles to Nanocrystalline Materials
The vibrational density of states (VDOS) of nanoclusters and nanocrystalline
materials are derived from molecular-dynamics simulations using empirical
tight-binding potentials. The results show that the VDOS inside nanoclusters
can be understood as that of the corresponding bulk system compressed by the
capillary pressure. At the surface of the nanoparticles the VDOS exhibits a
strong enhancement at low energies and shows structures similar to that found
near flat crystalline surfaces. For the nanocrystalline materials an increased
VDOS is found at high and low phonon energies, in agreement with experimental
findings. The individual VDOS contributions from the grain centers, grain
boundaries, and internal surfaces show that, in the nanocrystalline materials,
the VDOS enhancements are mainly caused by the grain-boundary contributions and
that surface atoms play only a minor role. Although capillary pressures are
also present inside the grains of nanocrystalline materials, their effect on
the VDOS is different than in the cluster case which is probably due to the
inter-grain coupling of the modes via the grain-boundaries.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.
Unitary Standard Model from Spontaneous Dimensional Reduction and Weak Boson Scattering at the LHC
Spontaneous dimensional reduction (SDR) is a striking phenomenon predicted by
a number of quantum gravity approaches which all indicate that the spacetime
dimensions get reduced at high energies. In this work, we formulate an
effective theory of electroweak interactions based upon the standard model,
incorporating the spontaneous reduction of space-dimensions at TeV scale. The
electroweak gauge symmetry is nonlinearly realized with or without a Higgs
boson. We demonstrate that the SDR ensures good high energy behavior and
predicts unitary weak boson scattering. For a light Higgs boson of mass 125GeV,
the TeV-scale SDR gives a natural solution to the hierarchy problem. Such a
light Higgs boson can have induced anomalous gauge couplings from the TeV-scale
SDR. We find that the corresponding WW scattering cross sections become unitary
at TeV scale, but exhibit different behaviors from that of the 4d standard
model. These can be discriminated by the WW scattering experiments at the LHC.Comment: 38pp, Eur.Phys.J.(in Press); extended discussions for testing non-SM
Higgs boson(125GeV) via WW scattering; minor clarifications added; references
added; a concise companion is given in the short PLB letter arXiv:1301.457
Towards a Resolution of the Cosmological Singularity in Non-local Higher Derivative Theories of Gravity
One of the greatest problems of standard cosmology is the Big Bang
singularity. Previously it has been shown that non-local ghostfree
higher-derivative modifications of Einstein gravity in the ultra-violet regime
can admit non-singular bouncing solutions. In this paper we study in more
details the dynamical properties of the equations of motion for these theories
of gravity in presence of positive and negative cosmological constants and
radiation. We find stable inflationary attractor solutions in the presence of a
positive cosmological constant which renders inflation {\it geodesically
complete}, while in the presence of a negative cosmological constant a cyclic
universe emerges. We also provide an algorithm for tracking the super-Hubble
perturbations during the bounce and show that the bouncing solutions are free
from any perturbative instability.Comment: 38 pages, 6 figures. V2: Added: a word to the title, clarifications,
an appendix, many references. To appear in JCA
Large-scale magnetic fields from inflation due to a -even Chern-Simons-like term with Kalb-Ramond and scalar fields
We investigate the generation of large-scale magnetic fields due to the
breaking of the conformal invariance in the electromagnetic field through the
-even dimension-six Chern-Simons-like effective interaction with a fermion
current by taking account of the dynamical Kalb-Ramond and scalar fields in
inflationary cosmology. It is explicitly demonstrated that the magnetic fields
on 1Mpc scale with the field strength of G at the present time
can be induced.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, version accepted for publication in Eur. Phys.
J.
Horizontal Branch Stars: The Interplay between Observations and Theory, and Insights into the Formation of the Galaxy
We review HB stars in a broad astrophysical context, including both variable
and non-variable stars. A reassessment of the Oosterhoff dichotomy is
presented, which provides unprecedented detail regarding its origin and
systematics. We show that the Oosterhoff dichotomy and the distribution of
globular clusters (GCs) in the HB morphology-metallicity plane both exclude,
with high statistical significance, the possibility that the Galactic halo may
have formed from the accretion of dwarf galaxies resembling present-day Milky
Way satellites such as Fornax, Sagittarius, and the LMC. A rediscussion of the
second-parameter problem is presented. A technique is proposed to estimate the
HB types of extragalactic GCs on the basis of integrated far-UV photometry. The
relationship between the absolute V magnitude of the HB at the RR Lyrae level
and metallicity, as obtained on the basis of trigonometric parallax
measurements for the star RR Lyrae, is also revisited, giving a distance
modulus to the LMC of (m-M)_0 = 18.44+/-0.11. RR Lyrae period change rates are
studied. Finally, the conductive opacities used in evolutionary calculations of
low-mass stars are investigated. [ABRIDGED]Comment: 56 pages, 22 figures. Invited review, to appear in Astrophysics and
Space Scienc
A systematic review of physical activity promotion strategies
This article was first published in:British Journal of Sports Medicine:1996:30:84-89We have reviewed randomised controlled trials of physical activity promotion to provide recent and reliable information on the effectiveness of physical activity promotion. Computerised databases and references of references were searched. Experts were contacted and asked for information about existing work. Studies assessed were randomised controlled trials of healthy, free living, adult subjects, where exercise behaviour was the dependent variable. Eleven trials were identified. No United Kingdom based studies were found. Interventions that encourage walking and do not require attendance at a facility are most likely to lead to sustainable increases in overall physical activity. Brisk walking has the greatest potential for increasing overall activity levels of a sedentary population and meeting current public health recommendations. The small number of trials limits the strength of any conclusions and highlights the need for more research
A historical perspective on the discovery of statins
Cholesterol is essential for the functioning of all human organs, but it is nevertheless the cause of coronary heart disease. Over the course of nearly a century of investigation, scientists have developed several lines of evidence that establish the causal connection between blood cholesterol, atherosclerosis, and coronary heart disease. Building on that knowledge, scientists and the pharmaceutical industry have successfully developed a remarkably effective class of drugs—the statins—that lower cholesterol levels in blood and reduce the frequency of heart attacks
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